Just A Girl
by dootadoot
Summary: AU. Set in a land far, far away in the time of kings and kingdoms. During a time when women were not held to the same status as men two girls will have to learn to come into their own and prove to themselves that they are able to be whomever they choose to be.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing but if I ever win big in the lottery I will surely inquire about the price of purchasing those rights.

A/N: This is going to be my first attempt at a chapter story. It is AU and not centered around the guys at all so I don't know how many people will be all that interested but I am interested in seeing where this story takes me and that is all that matters. Criticism is always welcome. Also, I am a new mom and have no idea when inspiration will strike me so I make no promises on how frequently I will update.

Just A Girl Chapter One

It was such a sunny day, the venders lined the streets with their goods and the town's people flowed through the streets of Cinq. It only made her more depressed, how the world could keep on turning as if nothing had changed while her world had changed completely. She had been his little girl, he treated her as if she were a delicate princess all while she discreetly watched him from the shadows. He had been one of Cinq's most commended soldiers, a war hero from a by-gone era. He had practiced every morning and she had mimicked his movements from inside their small cabin. He had insisted she learn to sew and cook and sadly suffered the consequences of burnt meals and tattered clothing but she was still his little girl. She missed him. Her bright eyed father who had lived the hard life of a soldier and yet still managed to have a jovial smile and an endless supply of cheesy jokes that she had laughed at only to see him smile some more; her father who never even got to know his daughter for who she really was; the father who now never would. He had passed quickly in his sleep from a long standing illness that they could never afford the medicine for. It had been two days and she was finally laying him to rest in town at the old soldiers' burial grounds. He had feared for this moment, he had left his unwed daughter with no means to provide for herself, for surely how could she for she was just a girl.

That morning she had cut off all of her long raven hair with the expensive sewing knife her father had purchased for her the past Christmas. She liked to think that he'd get a kick out of that. She had resized her father's pants and tunic to fit her small frame, apparently those sewing lessons had come in handy after all. She had also placed her father's sword at her waist with shaky but determined hands. She wasn't going to beg in the streets. She wasn't going to be some helpless orphan girl. She was going to meet up with an old acquaintance of her father. He would agree to see her and that was all the opening she would need. So long as he saw what she was capable of, she knew that he would allow her into Cinq's army. No, she certainly wasn't going to be a helpless orphan for she wasn't just a girl.

She turned into the sunlight with a sad smile upon her face. With her shoulders back, spine erect and head held high she marched through the bustling streets of Cinq towards the Peacemillion Pub to meet up with her father's good friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

A/N: Please be gentle with me as I slowly regain some writing skills. It may be slow but I am determined to finish this story some day and hopefully in the process become a better writer. Thank you to any and all who read this and especially to any who review.

Just A Girl Chapter Two

This was her homecoming. Her brother had gone out of his way to stage a grand ball for her coming of age. She was wearing a long white gown and a golden crown fit for a queen, he had had servants come and prepare her hair up and off of her neck in elegant fashion and adorned her face with some sort of embellishments to bring out her features. He had invited the class elites from all around theirs and neighboring kingdoms. He had done all of this for just a girl who was raised in a convent who just so happened to be the king's sister and princess of the Cinq kingdom. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment at how elaborate she looked and how much attention she was sure to get. This was something she was not use to.

She further was not use to having an opinionated older brother around. The night before the ball he had arranged for her to meet with him in the evening for tea. He had wanted to reacquaint himself with the little sister that he had not seen since she was two and she had been quickly shipped off to St. Dorlain's. He must have had preconceptions of what she was going to be like. It only made sense that he would. She as well had made the mistake of assuming what his personality would be like. She had remembered that he had blonde hair that shown like the sun and blue eyes as pale as the sky on a summer day. She thought that she remembered a warm and loving brother who let her pull upon that beautiful hair of his. What she had met with though was a cold man with eyes that pierced like ice. He seemed shocked when she had been the one to begin conversation and perhaps a little appalled but he seemed to burry that emotion well. He had told her of the ball and of her new living quarters and allowance, well more like ordered. When she had said that she didn't need so much money and that he should give the extra to the poor he looked offended and responded that she had to look like a proper princess at all times. He had said that she must maintain the elegance of the elite in order to give the people someone to look up to and respect for the people needed someone to follow. He had said all of this with an air of arrogance and on top of it all he had said it rudely and he left no room for her to argue. Or he had at least left her with the impression that if she were to argue then he simply would stop listening.

She reminisced about the easier times back at Dorlian's with a sad smile upon her face as the little servant girl finished pinching her cheeks. She turned to leave her room, squared her shoulders back, corrected her posture and began to walk with grace that only royals seemed to possess towards the ballroom. This was a coming of age party for a princess and from here on out a poised princess she must be.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

A/N: For the purposes of this story I made Quatre and Relena cousins. It really does not play a big role in the story but I figured it would make sense. Anyone else ever notice how closely Quatre resembles the Peacecrafts in both looks and beliefs?

Just A Girl Chapter Three

She had been introduced and had already made her grand entrance before being swept up by all of the people who wanted to get near to her. When she had the chance she scurried off to a remote corner of the ballroom, slouched her back with her head hanging low, and steadied her breaths as she continued her new mantra, 'I am a princess. I am a princess. I am a princess. By golly I am a princess and I am going to act like one.' She took one more steadying breath and straightened herself back out as she proceeded back into the ballroom. She was quickly pounced upon by Duke Dermail, "My, it is so nice to finally meet you Princess Relena. We were beginning to wonder if we would ever get the chance to meet the royal princess of Cinq. Have you met my granddaughter yet?" He left no room for her to respond. "Relena, this is Dorothy Catalonia, the wife of the crowned Prince of Arabia, Quatre Winner." 'Why yes' Relena thought. 'This is the woman who married my fair cousin, my mother's sister's son, the one whom my mother had wished for me to wed.' She gave this new woman a bright but hesitant smile to show her eagerness to make her acquaintance.

"Why, Miss Relena it is so lovely to make your acquaintance." The cattiness with which this was said, twist of eye brow hairs and a smirk that was anything but friendly had made it clear to Relena that this woman was anything but pleased to be meeting her. Relena's smile turned into an almost imperceptible frown for just a brief moment while she once again recited her mantra and plastered an artificial smile back onto her face. "Perhaps you would enjoy taking a walk with me through the gardens? Oh, it has been so long since I have seen the beauty of the palace's grounds."

"Of course, Miss Dorothy."

"Just Dorothy, please."

"Dorothy. You can just call me Relena."

"I could never; I feel such a great admiration for you Miss Relena, it would not be proper to do so."

Relena's feelings were bruised but she stubbornly showed Dorothy around the gardens that she herself was just getting to know. She didn't feel there was any point lingering on something so trivial. But once they got far enough away from the palace that they would not be heard Dorothy gripped her arm tightly, clenching her long fingernails into her flesh and turned her head so that her incredibly long platinum hair burst about her like an explosion. "Let's get this straight Miss Relena. I am aware of the plans that your whore of a mother had made with her dear sister and there is no way I am going to let you steal my husband from me." She dug her nails in deeper to the point of drawing blood as if that would make her point even clearer. Tears sprung to Relena's eyes and a few escaped to make their way down her cheeks. "If you give me any trouble I will be certain to make you wish that you never left that convent of yours. Am I clear, **Miss **Relena?"

The woman quickly released her arm and folded both of her hands neatly in front of her. "Perfectly."

After returning to the ballroom to inform her brother she was going to bed early, which he was incredibly sour about, Relena ascended the staircase to her quarters with no more grace in her step. No more mantra singing through her head as she lay herself down, defeated.

Not one for taking a beating and just rolling over, the next morning Relena had awoken once again reciting her mantra and finished that mantra off with 'Now how would a princess deal with this situation?' As she made up her mind she sought out her new 'friend' and found her awaiting her horse to be brought from the stables. Relena approached perhaps a little cautiously but with a serious determination. "Dorothy. I would like to further our discussion from last night. I had truly hoped for us to become friends. The matter of whatever plans my mother, rest her soul, may have concocted have no weight upon me. I have no interest in stealing a husband nor even taking a husband quite yet but once I have I would hope to have the courage to protect him and our relationship that you have shown. I do wish that in the future we may have more pleasant meetings." She finished with a genuine smile.

"I see," Dorothy responded while running her fingers through her brow as her horse was brought to her side. "Perhaps we shall Miss Relena." As she mounted her horse and rode off the only thoughts playing through Relena's mind were those considering how odd that woman was being so forwardly aggressive with her and of riding her horse like a man.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

A/N: As usual criticism is more than welcome. Hope you enjoy.

Just A Girl Chapter Four

Marching into the Peacemillion, she pushed her way through the crowd towards the bar. She used a few of her coppers to purchase a pint of ale and asked to see Howard. When he came out of the kitchens he smiled cordially and greeted Hilde, "Hey darlin' how are you holding up? And what in Cinq did you do to your hair?"

"I cut it off so that it doesn't affect my visuals or range of motion. How are you Sir?"

"**Okay**," his smile lessened as he tilted his head down so that he could get a closer look at her, "You still look good hunny but I don't know if the hair is going to affect your tips. Men usually like to see barmaids-"

"Barmaid? Look Sir I didn't come here to be a barmaid, I came here for you to get me into the army."

His smile disappeared completely. He sat down beside her and placed his hand over her own, "Miss Schbeiker, your father was a good man, a good soldier, but you are just a girl. How do you expect me to get you into the military? I don't want to see you out on the streets but I certainly don't want to see you get hurt either."

Her face flushed with indignation and she curled her hands tight in a fight to keep her frustration from leaking through. "Just give me a chance, Sir. You won't be disappointed."

"Tell ya what, the ale is on the house and you can just let me know once you've decided if you want the maid position. It's the best I can do for ya."

He took her silence as if it were agreement and walked back into the kitchens. She just sat in shocked silence, she had been so sure that he would give her a chance, so sure. If she couldn't be a soldier then what could she be? A barmaid was probably one of the best offers she would get. She wasn't going to beg nor would she sell herself like some puttock. Despite all that she couldn't burry her pride long enough to accept his generous offer. He really was a good man for offering even if she wasn't prepared to admit it just yet. She decided to wallow in her sorrows a little longer as she greedily drank her ale.

Three pints in she was becoming bitter. Her father wouldn't have given up as easily but obviously trying to talk to the man wasn't going to get her anywhere any time soon. If her father were backed into a corner he would find a way out of it,that is what had made him such a good soldier. 'Ok, soldier,' she thought to herself, 'now is a chance to prove your worthiness.' It took her a few long minutes to ponder what her next course of action was going to be before a mischievous smirk spread across her features. This time she knew that her father would get a kick out of what she was about to do.

She left the pub in search of someone, someone who would be willing to work for some cash. What she found was a young man with piercing green eyes with some strange uni-bang going on. He was playing a cittern while a young woman with auburn hair sang and danced for the passing people. They were playing a in the streets hoping to make some money and they were pretty good too. She watched them until their number was through and that was when the young woman spoke up, "If you are enjoying the show you should lay down what you can spare."

"Are you any good at other types of performances?"

The woman flashed a brilliant smile, "What did you have in mind?"

A short while later Hilde was back at the pub. She asked the barmaid, a pretty little thing with blonde hair, to ask Howard to come speak to her. It didn't take long for him to come out.

"Ok, Hilde. Have ya made up your mind?" He searched her face earnestly, hoping to see if she had made what he considered to be the right choice.

" Yes. Sir, I-," just as she was about to give her answer one of the customers became belligerent with the blonde maid. He began arguing loudly about how he had already paid her. Howard swiftly moved to the back to retrieve his crossbow but before he ever had a chance to load it the man raised his hand as if to strike the poor girl. But before his fist could come close to striking a blow his hand was halted midway through the air, he was pushed back into the crowd, and then suddenly tossed over the tiny shoulders of Hilde. When he opened his eyes to look above him there was a sword held steadily to his throat. "I think you should leave sir." His green eyes twinkled with mirth but it was the only outward sign that he was having fun. "I'll pay the girl. Just leave." He quickly did as he was told.

Howard scratched the back of his head with a slightly astonished look on his face. "Alright. Show me what you can do, girl." Hilde beamed brightly at him.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. I do find it to be incredibly pointless to put a disclaimer at the beginning of every chapter and am curious about whether it is actually necessary.

A/N: I am so not schooled in swordsmanship nor truly the time period of monarchies being common. I am trying it on for size with quite a bit of help from our not so trust worthy bing search bar as my source of factual information. Please try to enjoy despite flaws and feel free to correct me if I am wrong on anything . I am fine with that. :)

Just A Girl Chapter Five

This was, if she were honest with herself, her first time dealing with someone so intimidating. Howard had brought her to Commander Thompson with no promises but at least an introduction; however, at this moment she was not feeling all too confident. The man was a good two heads taller than her with thick black hair and very beady hazel eyes; not to mention he didn't seem too eager to hear what Howard had to say for her once he'd introduced her as a possible new recruit. He had been very cordial until that last part and then he seemed to start tuning it out. He must have heard enough, though, about her little bar fight for his face to register shock and if she was feeling a bit obliging maybe a little awe. She decided to pat herself on the back for that later. She knew she had to be serious and not zone out of the conversation but found it incredibly hard considering Howard had a tendency to run a conversation on with far too many details even the birds fighting over bugs in the fields seemed to be more entertaining. She was beginning to see who the dominate rook was; his feathers were so glossy that the black had an almost purplish hue.

"All I am asking is for ya to watch what the girl can do. That's all Belmount, and if yer still closed on the idea that'll be that." With the slightest swish of the few wisps of hair left in the front of her face she was back to paying full attention to the conversation. She offered him her most winning and confident smile, those butterflies squirming in her stomach be damned.

The Commander was sizing her up and she couldn't help but stretch her spine to a point in which it was painful and puff her chest in hopes to appear much larger than the small framed little girl that she was. She began to see dismission creeping into his tiny eyes and acted on reflex. She whipped her father's sword from her side and began the drill routine she had seen her father practice every morning that she had been alive. She had it down to where it was such a smooth movement that one could not tell where it truly began and where it might possibly go. As she returned her weapon to its sheath she spoke for the first time, " and I am a fair shot with any bow, sir." She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes again too certain that he would find her a nuisance.

"I haven't seen anyone so fluid with a sabre prior to tutoring. It isn't your skill, young lady, which I am concerned about. Howard's testament is plenty to substantiate that. I am concerned with how the men in my unit will be able to fight with a woman by their side." It was said like a mere comment but it was very open ended. She felt a stillness in her body at that moment. It was a peculiar feeling that did not match the environment around her. "I am willing to give this a shot. See how the men react and see if when all is said and done, you can keep up. But I will not be able to guarantee your safety or your acceptance. If you choose to proceed further it is on the basis that you will be treated in the same manner as my men. There will not be any special treatment and should you ever see combat it is unlikely that you will be well treated by enemies." Her breath had been caught in her throat. This was her dream and probably her only chance at obtaining it and instead of being as ecstatic as she always had thought that she would feel she was only feeling a mild happiness that was over powered by trepidation.

#$%

Her first official day of training was over. It couldn't have been better than mediocre. She had had a terrible time trying to keep up pace with marching but luckily or maybe unluckily she had distracted so many of the men with the simplicity of her gender that she certainly wasn't the only one blundering. After four hours of such trivial moving of her legs around stiffly they were to pair off and practice combat maneuvers. At first nobody wanted to be partnered with the girl so she was stuck with a scraggily boy who was no older than twelve with sickly baby blue eyes and not even a hair on his face. He had offered absolutely no challenge for her as she continued to over-power him many times. Eventually as the sun was beginning to descend in the sky a gruff man had sauntered toward her where he had decided to show her just how much he thought she was worthy of a position in their unit. Commander Thompson had warned her that he would not give her preferential treatment and he had done nothing to stop what had occurred. The gruff man, she later learned his name was Talbot, had showed her moves that she couldn't have possibly learned prior to training and he demonstrated them on her. It had been hand to hand combat and without a weapon she couldn't fight off a grown man. She had truly given her all but in the end she had ended up bloody and bruised and without the satisfaction of leaving a mark on him. As she was leaving the field for the day the Commander had given her the name of a foreign warrior who offered tutelage for a price. The price had turned out to be work on his farm which she at least knew how to do but he was unwilling to take in a woman student. She had just about given up any hope when the wife of the foreign man offered to teach her in the dark hours of the morning before her daily training. It wasn't something Hilde was looking forward to but she understood that this was probably the only way that she would ever be able to compete with the men she was to fight while serving in the Cinq army. She fell asleep at the Peascemillion with a crooked smile on her swollen lips.


End file.
